January 29, 2009 10:47 AM

Obama Signs Equal Pay Bill

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
Domestic Issues
(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Barack Obama today signed the first bill of his presidency, a piece of legislation known as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act that makes it easier for workers to sue after discovering what they believe to be pay discrimination.

In signing the bill, Mr. Obama said that it sends the message "that there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal, it's bad for business to pay someone less because of their gender or their age or their race or their ethnicity, religion or disability."



(CBS)
The legislation is named after Ledbetter, 70, who worked at Goodyear Tire & Rubber in Alabama for nearly 20 years before discovering that she was being paid less than men who were doing the same job. She became the face of workplace discrimination during Mr. Obama's presidential campaign, speaking at the Democratic National Convention and appearing in commercials for the then-Illinois senator.

The legislation, which Congress passed on Tuesday, effectively overturns a two-year-old, 5-4 Supreme Court decision that found that Ledbetter did not have grounds to sue because she did not discover the alleged pay discrimination within six months of it first taking place.

The bill signed by Mr. Obama today changes the rules so that Ledbetter and workers like her can sue within six months of discovering the alleged pay discrimination, regardless of when it began.

(AP PHOTO)
The Bush White House and Senate Republicans had previously blocked efforts to bring forth such legislation, which they suggested could encourage lawsuits.

The president signed the bill at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, with Ledbetter at his side. Also present were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and representatives from women's and labor groups.

"This is only the beginning," the president said. "I know that if we stay focused, as Lilly did -- and keep standing for what's right, as Lilly did -- we will close that pay gap and we will make sure that our daughters have the same rights, the same chances, and the same freedoms to pursue their dreams as our sons."

Add a Comment See all 129 Comments
by lost_america January 30, 2009 6:04 PM EST
The days of slavery are not over, Slavery is alive and well in Bangalore India,

(You, know, that%u2019s the place American companies are sending all our jobs)

Soon, If the WTO and the globalists have their way. %u201CEquality%u201D of wages will be reached for men and women over the whole planet with the standard being established in the third world even as we speak.
Reply to this comment
by akili6 January 30, 2009 5:46 PM EST
To avoid lawsuits, simply pay a fair wage. Problem solved!

The days of slavery are over. If you don''t like to see HARDWORKING AMERICANS get paid a FAIR wage, you are the worst form of ANTI-AMERICAN!

Get the hell out of MY AMERICA!
Reply to this comment
by kalderasha January 30, 2009 4:44 PM EST
Let me guess. Most of you who are angry about this just so happen to be men, right? What a surprise. The purpose of this bill is not to create more lawsuits, although that will be a happy result, the point is to stop pay discrimination. If a woman does the same work, with the same experience and the same performance it''s a no brainer that she should be paid the same as a man. But that''s not what''s happening. So something had to be done and now it has been. If you believe women should be paid less by virtue of the fact they they are women then you are a relic and this country is leaving you behind. Bye-bye.
Reply to this comment
by wvu74621 January 30, 2009 11:15 AM EST
Well I served 21 years in the Army...

Posted by wvu74621 at 04:16 AM : Jan 30, 2009

I guess this explains your apparent semi-literacy. Are you a wife beater too.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ROTFLMMFAO at 07:11 AM : Jan 30, 2009



No I don''t beat my wife. I usually am not quick to criticize, but you are an idiot. Probably a fat loser that lays on their *** all day collecting welfare. How is that for literacy?
Reply to this comment
by wvu74621 January 30, 2009 7:16 AM EST
Well, let''''s chalk it up to the fact that the military doesn''''t have to train women in compassion, caring and understanding. That is a very costly "performance standard" that, dare I say, is a failure in large enough numbers in male servicemen that it counterbalances your big man bigger pay theory ...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by linfinster at 02:48 AM : Jan 30, 2009


You see when you make a statement like this and you apparently do not know what you are talking about then you sound ignorant. Where you ever in the military and have first hand knowledge that the military does''nt provide training in the areas you have lsited? Well I served 21 years in the Army and received extensive schooling in Equal Opportunity issues. All soldiers receive training in Equal Opportunity, some more than others depending on thier duty positions. I also received Consideration of Others training, sexual abuse response training, suicide prevention training just to name some of the many. So again if you have no knowledge of what type of training the military receives I suggest you make no comment so as to not look like a fool to someone that knows what they are talking about.
Reply to this comment
by linfinster January 30, 2009 5:48 AM EST
Happens everyday in the United States military. So much for the equality bill.

Posted by Winstrv at 11:18 PM : Jan 29, 2009

Well, let''s chalk it up to the fact that the military doesn''t have to train women in compassion, caring and understanding. That is a very costly "performance standard" that, dare I say, is a failure in large enough numbers in male servicemen that it counterbalances your big man bigger pay theory ...
Reply to this comment
by standlee5 January 30, 2009 3:43 AM EST
this ought to make his lawyer friends happy.
Reply to this comment
by kansas1946 January 30, 2009 3:32 AM EST
You, betcha! All 2nd class womb citizens are being aborted and if 2nd class isn''''t discovered until delivery, let the head be born and suck out the brains. That''''s o.k. by Obama.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by joule18 at 11:01 PM : Jan 29, 2009
+ report abuse
***************************

Yawn. Of course it took these horrible "baby haters" to finally get the SCHIP program passed. You know that horrible program that provides health care to children whose parents are not covered by a plan.
Amazing what these "baby haters" will do for children isn''t it.
Reply to this comment
by kansas1946 January 30, 2009 3:29 AM EST
Once again, Hussein is moving in the opposite direction we need to be going in.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by RichardJ390 at 11:50 PM : Jan 29, 2009
*****************************

In YOUR opinion, the wrong direction. You will forgive me if I don''t value your opinion since you can''t seem to drop the juvenile urge to use the name "Hussein" to try and make some lame point. This was a good law and closed a loop-hole that was obviously being used against women in the work force.
Reply to this comment
by dynamited777 January 30, 2009 3:13 AM EST
One ****** republican slap of the worker down, 999 to go.
Reply to this comment
See all 129 Comments
.

Follow Political Hotsheet

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...